The neighbour, who did not wish to be named, added: “I think one of the neighbours was an off-duty policewoman so she took charge of the situation and I didn’t really see him, he was groaning, his wife was obviously distraught.

“I didn’t know him, I heard it all unfold and saw him taken away in the ambulance. I knew it was serious but it wasn’t until midday yesterday that I found out the worst. Up until that point I just assumed he had suffered some serious injuries but he would be home soon.”

The neighbour added: “You never really hear of murders around here. There is a very high burglary rate around here. The postcode around here has quite a high insurance premium, because of theft.”

Earlier on Monday police arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

Tributes left at the scene where Mike Samwell died (Pat Hurst/PA)

The Audi car was recovered by police badly damaged and abandoned three miles away in Whitby Avenue in the Ladybarn area of the city.

Mr Samwell trained as a naval officer at Britannia Royal Naval College in Devon and spent around a decade in the senior service before leaving in 2014. Since leaving the forces he had worked as a programme manager for engineering firm Atkins in Warrington, Cheshire.

Detective Superintendent Jon Chadwick from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said: “We have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with Mike Samwell’s senseless murder. Our investigation is still in its early stages and we are still appealing for the public to help us.”